Neil Critchley: Blackpool reappoint former boss as head coach

Neil Critchley was sacked after just over two months at QPR

Blackpool have reappointed former boss Neil Critchley as head coach following their relegation from the Championship.

The 44-year-old took the Seasiders up to the second tier via the League One play-offs in 2021 before leaving the club in June 2022 to join Steven Gerrard's staff at Aston Villa.

He then had a 12-game stint in charge at QPR this season, winning just once, and was sacked in February.

"It feels special to be back," Critchley told the club website.

"Looking back on my departure 12 months ago, I didn't handle that in the manner I should have done. I enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Simon [Sadler - owner] previously, and I thank him for this wonderful opportunity to come back to this special football club.

"I look at the club now, and it has had a bump in the road but there is no reason why we can't get back on track. It's up to us - and I include myself in that - to reset and become who we were as a group again."

Stephen Dobbie will move back to his role as senior professional development phase coach, after his interim stint as first-team boss following the departure of Mick McCarthy in April.

Dobbie was unable to save Blackpool from the drop as they finished 23rd in the Championship.

Critchley's impact in his first spell was quickly felt at Bloomfield Road, despite it being his first managerial role having predominantly worked as a development coach at Liverpool.

He took over from Simon Grayson in March 2020 and rebuilt the squad to lead them to promotion the following season.

Jerry Yates scored 20 goals on his arrival from Rotherham, while Keshi Anderson and Marvin Ekpiteta both became first-team regulars, as a third-place finish and victory in the play-off final against Lincoln took Blackpool back to the Championship.

The signing of Everton winger Josh Bowler was another example of shrewd recruitment, as he played a key role in retaining their Championship status, before joining Premier League Nottingham Forest for a fee of about £4m last summer.

"After an extensive recruitment process, which included many interviews with various candidates over the past few weeks, I kept coming back to Neil as being the right man to take us forward," owner Simon Sadler said.

"He gained promotion with us, kept us in the Championship in our first season back in the division and has an impressive record when it comes to developing players.

"He was the clear front-runner for the position and I hope everyone gets behind him and the squad as we push to get back into the Championship.

"I'd also like to thank Stephen Dobbie for stepping up for the final six matches of the season. He did a wonderful job in what were challenging circumstances, and I am confident he will have a successful career in first-team management in the years to come."

'Fan relations may need rebuilding'

Analysis - Andy Bayes, BBC Radio Lancashire sport

It's less than a year since Critchley shocked Blackpool by resigning to take up a role on Steven Gerrard's coaching team at Aston Villa and his return will divide opinion.

Some supporters felt let down by his decision to leave a role where he was held in such high regard. His relationship with the fanbase was excellent and may take some rebuilding.

He'll also be keen to rebuild his own reputation after losing two jobs in the space of four months, the latter being an ill-fated stint at Queens Park Rangers.

His remit will be the same as it was when he was last appointed in 2020, to take the Seasiders back to the second tier which he successfully achieved two years ago.